Chapter 223
Chapter 223
Gavin paused, took a deep breath, and then said, "I don't expect you all to forgive me."
"I brought you all here today because I wanted to offer a sincere apology."
Nathan stayed quiet, looking puzzled as he glanced at Jasper, who seemed equally surprised.
When had Gavin ever owned up to his mistakes after all these years?
Nathan felt upset but not resentful. Seeing Gavin like this made him uneasy.
"I haven't..."
He wanted to say he didn't have the right to forgive or not.
His son Edward was the one hurt, and the man in front of him was his biological father. What could he do?
Gavin waved his hand and said straightforwardly, "Alright, you two don't need to look at me like that."
"If I'm wrong, I'll admit it without hesitation."
"But, Dad, you..."
Jasper couldn't hold back.
Gavin waved his hand again, "I get it, but I've come to terms with it."
He sighed, a bitter smile on his face. "Nathan, I'm not looking for sympathy. I don't have many days left."
"When I take my last breath, whether it's the Hamilton family or the Hamilton Group, no matter how concerned I am, I'll have to let go."
"I've accepted it."
"Even though Edward wants to distance himself from the Hamilton family and me because he's disappointed, I'm not asking for his forgiveness."
"But I do hope he can accept my apology."
Gavin spoke sincerely.
Nathan stayed silent.
Jasper grew anxious. "Nathan, what's up with you?"
"Dad poured his heart out, and you still can't forgive him?"
Nathan finally muttered, "Jasper, why you gotta be so hard on me? You know Edward in my family. Do you think what I say matters to him?"
"I..."
Jasper was at a loss for words.
He knew he only dared to be tough in front of Nathan. With Edward, he wouldn't dare speak up. Despite this, he couldn't help but say, "But can you be okay seeing Dad like this?"
"Dad might get better soon. Let's not think so negatively!"
Before Jasper could continue, Gavin shook his head. "It's no use. I've had Damon and Marcus looking for news about Anouk, but they've found nothing."
"That Samuel from before was a fraud. I've given up waiting."
Jasper's eyes welled up. "Dad, please don't say that."
He felt quite resentful of his failures.
Gavin looked at Jasper blaming himself and felt a tinge of regret. Over the years, he had favored Damon the most. As Edward grew up and showed promise, Gavin planned for him to take over the Hamilton Group, so naturally, he paid more attention to Nathan.
Jasper, who seemed the least promising, was often neglected by him.
But lying in bed now, it was Jasper who showed the most concern.
Nathan cared too, but when Anouk was mentioned, he hesitated.
Jasper didn't notice, but Gavin, despite his age, had keen observation skills, especially when it came to his sons.
He furrowed his brow, eyeing Nathan. Though he had some suspicions, he kept them to himself.
After a moment of hesitation, Nathan murmured, "Even if we can't locate Anouk, finding his students shouldn't be too hard."
Gavin shook his head.
Jasper, unsatisfied, exclaimed, "Nathan, what's gotten into you?"
"What did Dad do wrong? He's already said sorry to you."
"Do you just want to see him suffer mentally as he deteriorates?" Jasper pressed.
Nathan quickly clarified, "Jasper, you've got me wrong. That's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?" Jasper demanded.
Cornered by the question, Nathan hesitated for a moment before sighing softly, "Never mind. It's just us here today, so I'll be straight with you."
"Aurora thinks Edward avoided Samuel's trap because of Victoria."
"We've seen Victoria's needlework, similar to Anouk's. So, even if she's not Anouk's student, she might be linked to him."
"Don't worry, whether Edward cuts ties with the Hamilton family or not, he won't let Grandpa's condition worsen."
"I'll confirm it soon. If Victoria did learn medical skills from Anouk, I'll make sure she assists Dad with his treatment."
Nathan hadn't planned to reveal this, but his concern for Gavin won out.
Jasper was stunned, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Victoria? Edward's wife?"
Nathan nodded.
He couldn't believe it himself as he looked at Gavin.
He thought Gavin would doubt it too, but Gavin just furrowed his brow and said, "I understand."
"Dad, do you trust Nathan?" Jasper was bewildered.
Gavin didn't elaborate. He didn't necessarily believe Nathan; it's just that Nathan's words triggered a memory of something Edward mentioned when he cut ties with them.
It seemed he had been too proud back then.
Reflecting now, he suddenly grasped it.
"What I said is true. Why doubt it?" Nathan sounded a bit offended.
"Then have her come see Dad," Jasper retorted promptly.
Nathan fell silent.
Seeing this, Jasper wanted to boast, but Gavin interjected, "Don't mention this chat to anyone for now."
"Why?" The brothers surprisingly echoed each other this time.
Gavin didn't rush to explain. Instead, he had a thought and said abruptly, "Jasper, check if anyone else is coming over now."
Jasper got up, went outside, scanned around, found no one, and returned.
Back in the ward, Skylar peeked out, still a bit nervous, muttering, "Your grandpa is really on guard!"
Marcus, with a somber expression, absorbed Skylar's words. In truth, that's exactly what he was thinking.
He had believed he had won Gavin's favor, but now it seemed he had overestimated himself.
"Victoria, huh?" He repeated the name playfully.
"What's your plan?" Skylar asked, noticing his shift in demeanor.